YEREVAN, August 5. / ARKA /. The past week has seen reports of a rapidly deteriorating situation on the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact and the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, the UK Foreign Office said in a statement.

Reports of increasing numbers of fatalities and the use of more advanced military equipment poses one of the most worrying violations of the ceasefire in its 20 year history. A Foreign and Commonwealth Office Spokesperson said:

The UK appeals to both Armenia and Azerbaijan to take immediate action to reduce tensions and respect the 1994 ceasefire agreement. We are deeply saddened by the continuing loss of life on all sides.

Recalling the statement of Minister for Europe David Lidington on the 20th anniversary of the ceasefire in May, we urge the parties to work with the OSCE’s Minsk Group Co-Chairs towards a peace agreement.

A recent flare-up of border skirmishes -- the deadliest so far -- between Azerbaijan and Armenia have killed more than two dozens of Azerbaijani soldiers and six Armenian servicemen. Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said Monday the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan would have separate meetings in Sochi with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Lavrov said Putin would talk to both presidents about how Russia, the U.S. and France - which lead a longstanding but stalled international peace effort - could help with "strengthening trust and reducing the risks of confrontation.-0-